Dad of 4, feel a ton of empathy for double income families. Just today my (stay at home) wife cheerfully and idly answered, "That's my job!" to a breakfast requ

Dad of 4, feel a ton of empathy for double income families. Just today my (stay at home) wife cheerfully and idly answered, "That's my job!" to a breakfast request while I was reading this thread .... So that being said, barring childcare (and major health problems which are very rare), my kids are almost completely subsidized by the US government. They cost me (by my own estimate) about $30,000 in marginal non-discretionary spending - housing, clothing, food, transportation, medical visits, etc. (There's also lessons, vacations, arts and crafts, holiday gifts and the like, but those are highly variable and my own choice.) My tax burden without 4 dependents is nearly $28,000 higher than with them. Just anecdata (I also call major shenanigans on the "$1 million" needed to raise a kid" meme ... so far I've racked up 42 "kid-years" on ~ $1 million total net income And I'm doing a lot better financially than I was when I first became a dad....)